ICONIC GAMESYEAR 6
TERM 2 · WEEK 3Future City Planner
Future City Planner adventure artwork

YEAR 6 · TERM 2 · WEEK 3

Future City Planner

Future City Planner: extended Year 6 teaching, evidence-based reading, developed writing, multi-step maths and an applied urbanisation mission.
0 / 7 missions complete

YOUR WEEKLY JOURNEY

Seven missions. Deeper thinking.

In Year 6, tell us why, test your ideas and make them better.
MISSION 1 · Workshop

Language Lab

I can recognise and use nominalisation in formal writing.

Illustrated Word Workshop for exploring words and language.
SHOW ME

“People migrated rapidly” becomes “Rapid migration changed the settlement pattern.”

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LET'S LEARN

Nominalisation turns processes or qualities into nouns; use it when it improves precision.

TRY THE EXAMPLE

Turn “the team decided quickly” into a sentence using decision.

YOU TRY

Which approach is strongest when an unfamiliar academic word appears?

EXPLAIN YOUR IDEA

Rewrite one action-focused sentence using nominalisation, then compare the two versions and explain which is clearer for a formal report.

0 wordsTarget: 45+ words
  • explains language choice
  • uses context or word knowledge
  • creates an accurate example
  • explains effect or precision
MISSION 2 · Library

Evidence Briefing

I can interpret data while separating observation from explanation.

Illustrated Maths Lab for exploring numbers, shapes and data.
SHOW ME

A graph can show temperature rose; it cannot prove why.

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LET'S LEARN

Read labels, units, scales and time periods first. State what data shows before suggesting reasons.

TRY THE EXAMPLE

Write one evidence statement and one cautious interpretation.

YEAR 6 SOURCE · READ CAREFULLY

Future City Planner begins with a real problem rather than a single obvious answer. A growing town needs housing, transport, green space and services without avoidable congestion. The group must decide what information is reliable, which constraints matter most and what should happen first.\n\nLand-area calculations, travel counts and service locations create measurable constraints. This evidence is useful, but it does not explain everything by itself. A Year 6 reader separates direct observation from interpretation, checks quantities and conditions, and notices where information is incomplete. If a source uses a number, the reader asks what was measured, over what period and whether the measure answers the actual question.\n\nA second source adds another perspective. Residents emphasise access and community character while the planning model emphasises capacity. The two accounts overlap in some places but emphasise different concerns. One may prioritise efficiency, safety or measurable outcomes while another highlights people, lived experience, environmental effects or long-term consequences. Neither perspective should be dismissed simply because it uses a different kind of evidence.\n\nThe team creates a short evidence table. They mark each detail as measured data, direct observation, expert explanation, historical source, stakeholder viewpoint or prediction. They then connect each detail to a decision criterion. This helps expose weak reasoning: a piece of evidence can be accurate but still irrelevant to the decision being made.\n\nThe final decision is not simply “pick the biggest number” or “choose the cheapest option”. The proposal must justify trade-offs and include a way to test whether it improves outcomes. A defensible recommendation connects evidence to criteria, explains trade-offs and identifies at least one limitation. If new evidence appears, the plan should be tested again rather than defended simply because it was the first idea.\n\nThe group’s final note uses three headings: what we know, what we infer, and what we still need to check. This prevents confident language from hiding uncertainty. It also means another learner can follow the reasoning and challenge it. That is the goal of Year 6 evidence work: understand deeply, compare perspectives, calculate carefully and make reasoning visible.

YOU TRY · CHECK THE EVIDENCE

QUESTION 1

Which habit best matches the source’s approach to evidence?

QUESTION 2

Why does the source include a second perspective?

QUESTION 3

What makes the final recommendation defensible?

MISSION 3 · Studio

Communication Studio

I can build a sustained argument with claim, evidence, reasoning and a fair counter-view.

Illustrated Creative Studio for planning and creating work.
SHOW ME

Route B is faster and avoids the flooded ford; both facts reduce response time and risk.

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LET'S LEARN

Organise reasons, use evidence, explain why it matters and address a reasonable alternative.

TRY THE EXAMPLE

Draft a CER paragraph and a fair response to an alternative.

PLAN FIRST

YOU TRY · DRAFT

Produce a developed Year 6 argument response for Future City Planner. Organise purposeful paragraphs or sections, use specific evidence or precise detail, and make your reasoning visible.

0 wordsTarget: 170+ words
□ clear audience and purpose□ three developed paragraphs or equivalent□ specific evidence or technical detail□ cohesive links and sentence variety□ reread and revised
REVISE · IMPROVE

Reread your response. Strengthen one evidence-to-reasoning link, improve one vague word or sentence, and make one deliberate structural edit.

0 wordsTarget: 35+ words
MISSION 4 · Maths Lab

Reasoning Lab

I can convert metric units and solve perimeter, area and volume problems.

Illustrated Maths Lab for exploring numbers, shapes and data.
SHOW ME

2.4 m × 1.5 m has area 3.6 m².

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LET'S LEARN

Convert before combining values and distinguish linear, square and cubic units.

TRY THE EXAMPLE

Convert 350 cm to metres.

WE DO · CHECKPOINT

3.5 m in centimetres

Use the guided strategy above.

YOU TRY · CONNECTED PROBLEMS

MISSION 5 · Mission Deck

Applied Mission

I can design, test and improve against measurable criteria.

Illustrated Maths Lab for exploring numbers, shapes and data.
SHOW ME

If a bridge bends too far, strengthen the span and retest.

Need more help?
LET'S LEARN

Prototype, test, record evidence, identify the weakest criterion and change one feature.

TRY THE EXAMPLE

Write a testable criterion and one improvement.

PROBLEM

Use the evidence from Future City Planner to make a defensible plan, decision, investigation or design.

EVIDENCE
  • Use at least one numerical or measurable detail.
  • Use at least one qualitative, historical, scientific or stakeholder detail.
  • Separate evidence from assumptions.
  • Record one uncertainty or limitation.
CONSTRAINTS
  • Your solution must meet at least two criteria at the same time.
  • Explain one trade-off rather than pretending every outcome is positive.
  • Include a test, check or trigger for changing the plan.
MISSION 6 · Arcade

Future City Planner Rapid Reasoning

I can retrieve and apply this week’s learning accurately under pressure.

Future City Planner learning artwork
ROUND 1 / 4SCORE 0

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MISSION 7 · Clubhouse

Week 3 Check In

I can reflect on the strategy behind my work and identify a useful next step.

Future City Planner learning artwork
WHAKAARO · REFLECT

Which piece of work this week shows your strongest reasoning? Use one specific example, explain the evidence or strategy that helped, and name one improvement you would make next time.

0 wordsTarget: 45+ words

YEAR 6 HOMEWORK CLUB

Your Year 6 progress

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